Ashley (name)

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For other uses, see Ashley (disambiguation).
Ashley
Pronunciation/ˈæʃli/
Language(s)English
Origin
MeaningAsh tree meadow

Ashley is a given name which was originally an Old English surname. It is derived from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) words æsc (ash) and lēah and translates to "Dweller near the ash tree meadow".[1]

Regional variations[]

Europe[]

Ashley was originally a boys' name in England, France and Germany. It was first recorded as a male given name in the 16th century and remained exclusively male until around 350 years later.[2] Its popularity in England came in part from the prominent 17th-century politician Lord Ashley. Appearances of the boys' name in popular culture include Ashley Wilkes in 1939's Gone with the Wind and Ash Williams (Ashley Williams) in the 1981 film The Evil Dead.

Ashley in the United Kingdom remains predominantly male, ranking at #40 in 1996 for boys and staying within the top 100–300 male names given each year. Although Ashley was briefly used for British females, it dropped out of the top UK female name charts in 2011.[3]

America[]

In the 1960s, Americans started using the male spelling of Ashley for females as well as males.[4] In the 1980s the name had a rise in popularity attributed to the female soap opera character Ashley Abbott who emerged on the still-running TV series The Young and the Restless in 1982.[5]

Notable men with this given name[]

Notable women with this given name[]

Fictional characters[]

  • Ash Williams, protagonist in the Evil Dead film series
  • Ashley Abbott, a character in the America soap opera The Young and the Restless
  • Ashley Banks, a character in the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
  • Ashley Barnstormer, an antagonist in the America web series Video Game High School
  • Ashley Barton / Spider-Bitch, a Marvel Comics supervillain
  • Ashley Bernitz, an antagonist in the game Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War
  • Ashley Graham, a Resident Evil 4 character
  • Ashley Hammond, a Power Rangers character
  • Ashley Juergens, a character in the teen drama The Secret Life of the American Teenager
  • Ashley Kerwin, a character in Canadian drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation
  • Ashley Magnus, a character in the science fiction-fantasy series Sanctuary
  • Ashley Mizuki Robbins, heroine in the Another Code video game series
  • Ashley Peacock, a character from the British soap opera Coronation Street
  • Ashley Riot, protagonist in the Vagrant Story video game
  • Ashley Spinelli & The Ashleys, characters in the children's television series Recess
  • Ashley Wilkes, central character in the 1936 novel Gone With the Wind
  • Ashley Williams (Mass Effect), female soldier in the Mass Effect video game series named after the Evil Dead character
  • Ashley Winchester, the main character of role-playing video game Wild Arms 2
  • Ashley, a character in the cartoon series School for Vampires
  • Ashley, twin sister of Alissa in the TV series Barney & Friends
  • Ashley, a character in the Warioware series
  • Ask Ashley, comedy skit appearing on the Nickelodeon show All That

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Ashley: Name Meaning, Popularity, and Similar Names". Nameberry. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
  2. ^ "Ashley". www.thinkbabynames.com. Archived from the original on 2006-08-22. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  3. ^ "Ashley – Baby Name – Meaning & Popularity".
  4. ^ Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the name Ashleigh". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
  5. ^ "Ashley as a first name or baby name".
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